Proposed Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment

Understand your obligations as a tourism business and provide your input about important accessibility regulations.

The Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) has released its proposed Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment. The standards cover seven areas relating to the design of public spaces, which tourism businesses should be aware of:

Recreational trails and beach access routes

Outdoor public-use eating areas (like rest stops or picnic areas)

Outdoor play spaces (like playgrounds in provincial parks and local communities)

The tourism industry has from August 15, 2012 – October 1, 2012 to submit comments about the draft Accessibility Standards for the Built Environment. All comments will be considered as part of the process of finalizing the regulation. Please submit your comments via email to: designofpublicspaces@ontario.ca.

TIAO is working with the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS), and industry partners, to develop awareness presentations, tools and resources to help tourism and hospitality operators better understand their obligations under the customer service standard, as per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

At TIAO’s awareness presentations and workshops, participants will learn about the Requirements of the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Regulation, compliance reporting process, recently added tools and resources, and the draft proposal of the Built Environment.

To book TIAO to come and do an awareness presentation and/or book a workshop at your AGM, industry event or meeting, please contact Farnaz Farrokhi, Communications Manager and EnAbling Change Project Coordinator at farnaz@tiaontario.ca.

Please note: deadline to submit compliance report for this year is December 31, 2012.

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About Us

The Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) is one of 13 Regional Tourism Organizations created by the Ontario government to increase tourism to the province. The OHTO covers a large region in eastern Ontario which includes the counties of Frontenac, Haliburton, Hastings, Lanark, Lennox and Addington, and Renfrew.